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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Interesting example of how we show up, even in small things, communicates
big time values and believes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Even a Town crier to me is the continuation of the “culture
of dependency “ Open Space is wanting us and helping us get away from. It’s
nourishing the old mental model that the participants can’t do it by themselves
but the people that know (authorities including the facilitator) can do it best.
It sustains the thinking that participants need a mom to remind them. So
they will not only be dependant on time but will continue in this frame of mind
on many other aspects of the meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I let people self manage around time – other than having a
schedule posted on a flip chart like Harrison had in his first edition of his Users’
Guide. Participants tell me later on that they like having no one - no form of
boss even a nice facilitator - telling them what to do. It really sends a clear
message we are encouraging self-organization and more importantly, that we value
them we value trust and show it by actually trusting them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>It also makes room for the leadership to emerge from the group: the
small and big task of reminding colleagues it’s time to start is an
opportunity for someone to take a special step in the group they belong to. It’s
also an occasion to add to the quality of their relationships. Doing it
for participants, takes away from them, those opportunities for learning and
being.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>It’s been working for over 10 years for me. Harrison said
about OST: it’s not the techniques of OST that are hard to learn, it’s
letting go.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Diane<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Peggy Holman<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 13 janvier 2008 12:23<br>
<b>To:</b> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Thoughts on a Town Crier<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Has anyone noticed more milling about before people move
into sessions over the last few years? I'd been noticing enough of a
trend this way that I always intend to explicitly tell people that there won't
be anyone telling them when to move, that it is up to them to follow their own
rhythms and interests. I haven't quite internalized this yet, so I
usually forget. Anyway, I think I may have figured out what is going on.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>I just did an OS for a friend for a group of about 50.
He uses OS a lot but wanted to be able to really participate in this
one. He told me that he was a little surprised when the
first round of breakout sessions was starting that I didn't tell people it was
time to get started. He came to me when the first round
after lunch were scheduled to start and asked me wasn't I going to ring a bell
and let people know? I basically told him that I never did that.
The participants were adults and could figure it out for themselves. He
was floored and a little upset. He said he always lets people know.
And then it dawned on me: there are more and more people who have
experienced OS. Perhaps there are many practitioners doing what Jon does
- telling people when it is time to start the next session. I realized
that since most of these folks came at Jon's invitation, they were probably
enculturated to responding to a bell. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>So I took what seemed a middle ground to me and rang a bell,
saying, "It's 1:30 and all's well." I figured a town crier was
a minimalist thing to do -- providing information without attachment
to how people used it.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>I then spoke more with Jon because I wanted to understand
his perspective. He said that to him, what is posted, like the
session start times, are part of the commons and when he is holding the
space, that is part of his contract with the group, to give them the
information. He doesn't care what they do once they hear it. So, it
strikes me that Town Crier is a good description of what he does.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Given the trend I mentioned, I suspect Jon isn't the
only one doing something like this. I'd love to hear other thoughts on
providing information that marks the passage of time.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>from sunny (for a change) Seattle,<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Peggy<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>________________________________<br>
Peggy Holman<br>
The Open Circle Company<br>
15347 SE 49th Place<br>
Bellevue, WA 98006<br>
(425) 746-6274 <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.opencirclecompany.com">www.opencirclecompany.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><br>
For the new edition of The Change Handbook, go to: <br>
<a href="http://www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook">www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>"An angel told me that the only way to step into the
fire and not get burnt, is to become <br>
the fire".<br>
-- Drew Dellinger<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal>* *
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